EMR Software For Medical Marijuana Doctors/ Issues

Medical Marijuana Software Issues

As medical marijuana and recreational marijuana businesses are beginning to become legal throughout the United States, so are many other formalities that need to be addressed. Now, there are several states that allow medical marijuana recommendations, which means there also needs to be a way to manage medical records for patients.

One of the biggest medical marijuana states is California. Patients are now able to walk into healthcare facilities and obtain a medical marijuana recommendation from a MMJ doctor. It is almost like going to the doctor for the flu or getting a healthcare checkup. The process is the same and the result is a recommendation for medical marijuana. Once the marijuana recommendation has been issued, the patient either waits for a card or the card is instantly created, allowing a medical marijuana patient to go to a dispensary.

The part that is becoming difficult is also managing online medical marijuana websites that let patients do a consultation with a MMJ doctor online. A system has to be in place in order to manage patient records. There are many of these websites online, but not all of them have the best EMR system in place. The EMR system needs to be similar to one of a healthcare facility. However, when a potential patient is filling out a healthcare questionnaire and starting to begin a personalized account – this EMR software needs to be user-friendly. Many potential patients are finding that some EMR systems are not that easy to use or the online medical marijuana doctor telemedicine site has too many glitches.

Another important part that needs to be paid close attention is the fact that some of these medical marijuana recommendation sites are nothing more than a scam. It is wise for any patients to do a review and research online prior to using any site for a medical marijuana recommendation. Just like a normal walk-in clinic, an online MMJ site is going to require the same documentation, such as a copy of a driver’s license and another form of photo ID.

MMJ Doctor EMR Software

Medical Marijuana Software

Even though it may seem difficult to find a specific type of software created specifically for medical marijuana doctors, there are many different kinds of software that can be customized. The software is going to be similar in the respect that there is still going to be a patient questionnaire, but when it comes to medical marijuana, most of the software and the information the medical marijuana doctor is looking for – current prescriptions and a current status of the patient’s mental health. In rare cases, some patients will be rejected for getting a medical marijuana recommendation, because a patient might be pregnant or a patient might be under the influence of a controlled substance. The EMR software is a good way to document these issues, but also have the patient’s information stored for future reference.

MMJ EMR software is also secure and is always stored in a network or the cloud. Just like any other type of EMR system, MMJ patients must also have the same type of privacy. Everything must be HIPAA compliant and there also needs to be a controlled environment for who is allowed to change patient information.

Many times in a physician’s office – the patient is the one that fills out the actual account information and the doctor does the consultation, and then will recommend a medical marijuana card. After that, the supporting staff will either create a card on site or one will be mailed. The patient will have their information stored for approximately five years. This is in the state of California. In other states, there are different rules and regulations. Most states honor a one-year medical marijuana recommendation, but New York can have different statutes pending on the doctor’s system.

EMR – Are They Safe?

Another important note: many medical marijuana doctors are very concerned about their patient records being released to anyone. By law, a random person or an employer calling to verify a patient – the medical marijuana practice cannot release any information or even verify a patient. The only cases where a patient is verified, tends to be by dispensaries if a store manager of a dispensary is not 100% sure about the name of a doctor or the facility in which the actual medical marijuana recommendation/card was issued. These situations are rare, but they do happen. At that point in time, it is up to the discretion of the individual answering the inquiry. However, many medical marijuana doctor’s also have a website where the verification process is automated online. This is also a secure system that protects medical marijuana patients. Always review a website and check the terms & conditions to see if any type of privacy acts have been listed. A legit website is going to have HIPAA compliant legal terminology.

As MMJ doctor software improves – patients are going to notice that the ability to do more with a website is going to be even better than visiting a physical location. Research has shown that some patients to prefer to walk into an actual medical marijuana facility for a recommendation as opposed to doing an online consultation with a licensed doctor. This is really at the patient’s discretion, but in the event that a patient is starting to do research online about a particular telemedicine website, it is imperative to be sure that the website has good reviews. Always check multiple sources and find out about the doctors doing the consultation. A reputable site will have a full functioning website with its own network for doing the online consultation. Note: you must physically view a doctor and the doctor must physically view you in order to get any type of legitimate online consultation for a medical marijuana recommendation.

MMJ EMR are drastically improving and providing more features, such as payments and even scheduling appointments. This is $1 billion industry that is proving to be profitable, but also accommodating for all medical marijuana doctors that are trusting the EMR software with their efficiency.